In early September I drove out the Scuitto Lake Road and continued on to the Campbell Lake Recreation Site.   When I went by Scuitto Lake I was surprised by how low the lake was.    Summer evaporation, drought, and summer draw down had reduced the lake size noticeably.    One of the boat launches was closed.    The boat launch at Campbell Lake seemed to have seasonal levels, but there was a lot of algae in the lake.     Much of the lake has shallow, muddy bays and by mid-summer the aquatic plant growth fills the many areas.    It is a better paddle in late spring, but we may choose to go at the end of summer to see the pelicans, sandhill cranes, waterfowl.

I have paddled the lake when there have been dozens of pelicans, but on this day, there were only a handful, scattered in shallow waters around the lake.

There were more sandhill cranes, in small clusters on the south and eastern shoreline.    Their calls can be heard right across the lake, making them easier to find.

Getting close enough to the pelicans and cranes is difficult when the bays become very shallow and choked with vegetation, so I used a long lens to photograph the birds, but it is still not easy from a kayak.   I did a large loop route around the lake.

By this time of year there were only a couple of boats on the lake and few campers at the Rec Site.     I was pleased to see the cranes and pelicans, but Campbell Lake is not a favorite.      I prefer deeper lakes with clearer water, especially if the roads are long and bumpy.    In any given year I will not get to all of the lakes in our area.     Each year I drop some lakes off the list, mostly because of poor water quality, but also I prefer lakes that don’t have too many powerboats, too many private homes, or are too busy.     I will try Campbell Lake again in May next year, but I may remove it from the list for future years.

das